A sure sign that fall is on its way: globemallow flowers and buds by the roadside in the Jemez. The purple background is one of the largest clusters of desert 4 o’clocks I’ve ever seen.
Fading Sunflower
I’ve always loved sunflowers (I may have mentioned this before, possibly ad infinitum) but I’ve developed a bit of an obsession the last couple of years with those that are on their way out. They exude happiness (at least to my eyes), even as they fade.
Two-Tailed Swallowtail
Probably the most perfect two-tailed swallowtail I’ve ever seen in my life, hanging out on yellow sweet clover in Cienega Canyon (Sandia Mountains).
Jemez Horse
It’s really hard to take photos of horses. They either run toward or away from you if they think you might have even the tiniest bit of interest in them. So when I saw two horses in this field, I parked where they couldn’t see me and then walked casually along the other side of the road, never looking at them. When I was right where I wanted to take a photo, I quickly crossed the road to hold my camera over the fence and … they were much faster than I was. Especially the horse you can’t see in this photo, who was behind me. The one you can see was definitely the more shy of the two.
It worked out well anyway. I love the line of the fence (and the fence too — could a fence be more New Mexican?) and I love the buffalo gourd and nightshade flowers in the foreground. So all’s well that ends well. Although the horses might not agree since neither apples nor carrots ever materialized.